Multifunction Radar Modeling in STK 11.7

Multifunction radars can carry out multiple tasks simultaneously. These systems have several operating units that execute in parallel. Radar systems support many RF beams, which are usually created by phased array antennas.

Multifunction radar systems in STK model these beams at an abstract level as pencil beams. Each of these beams can be configured individually and assigned independent tasks. Common tasks include:

Tracking a target

Scanning fixed zones

Performing 360 degrees horizon searches

You can use STK to perform Search & Track analysis for each of these tasks. You can also analyze how effective a radar system is at detecting threats while it performs concurrent tasks.

A multifunction radar system can control its system behavior dynamically, making changes that are based on pre-defined rules. For example, a multifunction radar system can switch radar waveforms to increase fidelity. The switching control executes based on the range to a target that the radar is tracking. When it switches, the system selects a waveform that is appropriate to the target’s range classification.

You can define waveforms in STK’s Component Browser to make your own specialized collection. Simply copy one of the default waveforms and then customize it. There are four range classifications – short, medium, long, and ultra-long - which are based on the range limits that you define.

The waveform attributes are:

Frequency

Power

Pulse repetition frequency (PRF)

Pulse width

You can define multiple range and waveform combinations to assess performance against a variety of target characteristics. You can easily evaluate the performance of a switching strategy using STK’s reporting and graphing functions.